Hotels Chamber Works to Get Greek Hospitality Industry Issues High on EU Agenda

Photo Source: HOTREC

Following up on HOTREC’s presentation of its “White Paper for Hospitality in Europe” at the European Parliament this week aimed at setting five key priorities for the 2019-2024 period, the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels (HCH) held an event in Athens, tabling the urgent issues that need to go high on the EU agenda ahead of European elections on May 26.

The aim of the event was to promote hospitality industry issues and challenges  so that these move up on the EU agenda as well as securing the involvement and commitment of Greek candidates.

Alexandros Vassilikos

In its white paper presented in February, HOTREC called for a stronger partnership with European institutions towards a European agenda for an innovative and sustainable tourism sector.

Addressing the Athens event, HCH President Alexandros Vassilikos referred to the “historic opportunity to ensure quality and active participation of the tourism industry in European decision-making centers”. The HCH is a member of HOTREC.

Vassilikos called for the implementation of a “unified European policy that will support the Union’s hospitality sector”, stressing that “it is now a political requirement to establish the position of commissioner for tourism”.

The HCH chief pledged that he would be updating MEPs regularly in order to ensure initiatives supporting Greek tourism were taken.

Jens Zimmer Christensen

Also attending the event was HOTREC President Jens Zimmer Christensen, who presented the sector’s five key priorities for 2019-2024, which are:

– Introducing “collaborative” economy platforms to level the playing field in the accommodation and food service market,
– Revising the EU framework regulating online platforms’ liability,
– Improving regulations that ensure the EU focuses on large cross-border issues and better takes into account sectoral specific concerns,
– Fostering voluntary initiatives on nutrition for local food services,
– Working against skills shortage.

Christensen called on the new European Parliament and the European Commission to embrace the hospitality sector’s efforts in order “to make sustainable tourism the flagship of European tourism development for the benefit of citizens.”

HOTREC represents over 2 million businesses – 90 percent of which are micro enterprises – active in the European hotel, restaurant, bar and café industries in 30 countries.